Tension that Brings Rich Understanding: Confident Pluralism

I love phrases that bring together words in tension. One example that I have been exploring over the holidays is: "Confident Pluralism." When we think about the concept of pluralism, we usually focus on allowing many different points of view to exist together. While its not in the definition anywhere, it is easy to think that pluralism might mean a lack of conviction. What I love about Confident Pluralism is that it brings together a confidence in your beliefs with a willingness to do life with people who are different.

John Inazu's book "Confident Pluralism" is a tribute to this tension. I was able to read it over the holidays and I would like to share with you the tweets that I posted on my @JonHirstTalks twitter feed as I read the book. I hope these 23 tweets will help you begin to explore this rich concept and figure out how you might apply it in your life and relationships.

Jon's 23 Tweets:

I’m starting @JohnInazu’s book, Confident Pluralism. I’ll be sharing quotes from it over the next week or so. I’ll be using #pluralism to curate all the quotes and observations. I hope you will join me. #iamreading #BookTwitter #BookRecommendations #books

I’m @JohnInazu's forward he mentions @NickKristof’s comments on why the media will struggle to support a broad dialogue based on #pluralism. John summarizes with this: “the best way to build an audience is by reinforcing stereotypes and minimizing nuance.”

“…#tolerance, #humility, and #patience … provide the footing for the bridges that we can build across difference and the places we can find common ground even when we cannot agree on a common good.” @JohnInazu #pluralism

“Pluralism is not relativism…When we believe in something of significance, we want others to share that belief. But how others come to share those beliefs matters a great deal.” @JohnInazu #pluralism

“Confident #pluralism allows genuine difference to coexist without suppressing or minimizing our firmly held convictions.” @JohnInazu

“Freedom to differ is not limited to things that don’t matter much. That would be a mere shadow of freedom. The test of its substance is the right to differ as to things that touch the heart of the existing order.” Justice Robert Jackson quoted in @JohnInazu’s book on #pluralism

“The protections of assembly are part of our mutual nonaggression pact. They extend to groups we like and groups that we don’t like.” @JohnInazu #pluralism

“Our voluntary groups are the cornerstone of confident pluralism. The speech & discourse through which we engage with one another depends upon the groups in which we forge ideas, relationships, and affections.” @JohnInazu in Confident #Pluralism

“Confident pluralism also invites us to engage with one another across our differences, and in the public square. And it asks that government protect the forums that make that engagement possible.” @JohnInazu in Confident #Pluralism

John is doing a good job of making the case for the importance of physical & virtual space to #pluralism. “The public forum in practice is quite unrecognizable from its ideal, and that departure should give us great pause.” @JohnInazu

“Confident #Pluralism depends upon meaningful venues for people to voice dissent & difference & to participate in dialogue across difference.” @JohnInazu

“…the generosity & empathy with which [public forums] are made available is an index of freedom.” Harry Kalven, as quoted in @JohnInazu’s book Confident #Pluralism

This is an important reminder. If we value many voices, we need to allow funding to flow to the presentation of those voices: “Facilitating pluralism means funding #pluralism.” @JohnInazu

In @JohnInazu’s book Confident #Pluralism, he advocates for structural & individual disciplines to create the space for freedom & difference. I just finished the structural half (a bit heavy on legal language but insightful) and now I’m about to start the civic practices section.

The “three civic aspirations of confident #pluralism”: #tolerance, #humility and #patience @JohnInazu

“Patience involves restraint, persistence, and endurance.” @JohnInazu #pluralism

“Speaking well and listening well are not intuitive for everyone. They will often take practice and patience.” @JohnInazu in Confident #Pluralism

“Meaningful relationships within confident #pluralism do not depend on compromise or change bridging ideological distance…they bridged relational distance.” @JohnInazu

One reason that the #pandemic has reduced civility and trust is this observation @JohnInazu makes: “…our physical separation can be a significant impediment to our ability to bridge relational difference.” #pluralism

As many of you have noticed, I have been tweeting my way through @JohnInazu’s book Confident #Pluralism. If you want more but aren’t up for reading right now, John gave a wonderful talk on his book at @Calvin_Uni Watch here  

“Confident #Pluralism does not give us the American Dream. But it might help us avoid the American Nightmare.” @JohnInazu

“…confident #pluralism is also a confidence in the political arraignment that we call the United States of America Flag of United States. It is a confidence that we retain som modicum of unity even in the midst of our vast diversity.” @JohnInazu

Any book that ends with the word “hope” is worth a read in my book! :) I would encourage you to get a copy of Confident #Pluralism by @JohnInazu - it will challenge you to tolerance, humility, patience and hope even as you hold to your beliefs and values.

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